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Chapter Five: Stargazing

"Legolas?"

There was a knock on the door and Legolas hurriedly dried his face with a soft towel and opened it. "Arwen," he said with a soft smile.

"Legolas," Arwen answered with a responding smile. "Elladen, Elrohir and I are going to the small forest outside Minas Tirith tonight and are going to camp out for the night and look at the stars. We were wondering whether you would care to join us?"

Legolas nodded. "Undomiel, you know I would love to. My kin dearly love stargazing and admiring the work of Elbereth."

"Brilliant. Will you meet us in the glade? You know the one of which I speak.... by the large rock?" Arwen asked.

"Yes. When?"

"As soon as the sun has set." Arwen smiled once again and reaching out a finger, tapped his temple. "Now I know why Eldarion was murmuring about swamp monsters."

Legolas blushed slightly at Eldarion's name and the Evenstar gave him an amused look. "Well, I will see you then."

"Yes milady." Legolas bowed as she swept off down the corridor.

~

The night was balmy and warm. The air was light and soft. The stars shone down from their lofty positions in the sky with the brightness of diamonds. Legolas' feet moved gracefully and lively on the forest floor.

The soft breeze pushed his golden hair back slightly. Tonight it was free of its bands and plaits. Tonight was a meeting with some of his friends, elves at that, to talk frivolously about stars and gaze up at them. Well, talk as frivolously as is possible for elves. Elrohir would start teasing Elladen who would then in turn start teasing his baby sister. And Legolas would just sit and watch, a contented smile on his face.

He was dressed simply in his dark blue velvet tunic that had a high collar and rested just above his knees. Below that was a pair of black leggings trimmed with silver threading.

Chuckles of elven voices met him as he saw the glade.

In the middle of the small forest was a clearing filled with grass that was littered with white flowers and in the middle was a rock, smoothed away by wind and rain.

"You did not have to come!" he heard Arwen laugh.

"Father was threatening to start teaching me about Rúmil and how he devised elvish," Eldarion whined.

Legolas stopped in his tracks. The wind whistled around and flapped his hair against his cheek. Eldarion was also here? Why did Legolas all of a sudden feel nervous? Shy?

Putting on the same impassive face, Legolas walked into the glade and was greeted by calls.

"I thought you had fallen into another hole in the ground, swamp thing!" Eldarion called playfully.

"Nay," Legolas replied quietly and sat down upon the rock.

"Legolas how are you?" Elrohir asked.

"Good enough to not need pointless questions directed at me," Legolas responded sharply. "You can see I am fine, why ask?"

"It was just a friendly greeting my friend," Elladen said with a quick frown at Arwen. "No need to get angry about it."

"I am not angry," the prince said. "I am merely feeling a little.."

What should he say to blame his harsh behaviour on?

"Tired."

"Tired?" Arwen asked.

"Yes. Tired." Oh Valar, that sounded stupid. "It was a tiring day today."

"Well if you say so," Elrohir said, but he didn't sound convinced.

"Yes I do. Now.. pass me some of that wine," Legolas said trying to change the subject.

Tilting his head slightly, Legolas noticed that all the way through the conversation, Eldarion had been staring at him. Again he blushed and quickly took a sip from the glass that Arwen was offering to him.

Why am I acting like a young maid towards her first crush? He wondered. Do I like Eldarion? He shook his head at this concept and stared towards the sky.

"Legolas, I thought you wouldn't mind if Eldarion tagged along. He was eager to see you again," Arwen remarked, ignoring the daggers her son was glaring in her direction.

"Not at all," Legolas said in a dreamy voice.

The stone was large enough for a full-grown elf to lie out, so he did. Legolas looked up at the sky. "Elrohir, Elladen, I apologise for my appalling behaviour."

"No apologises are necessary," Elrohir said comfortingly. "Everyone has their bad days. Even swamp things."

A slow smile spread on Legolas' face and he started laughing. "When did Eldarion tell you that?"

"He didn't need to. We saw you while we were returning to the White City. A rather amusing"

Elladen finished his twin's sentence off, as he usually did. "Sight."

"Indeed," Elrohir said, mirth sparkling in his ice blue eyes.

"So, how bright are the stars tonight Legolas?" Arwen asked.

He sat up quickly to look at the Evenstar with evident concern. "Arwen?"

"Legolas. I can see fine thank you, but I fear that my sight is not as good as it used to be," she said. "Mortality is catching up on me."

It sorrowed the prince's heart immensely to hear that, and so he tilted his head back up to the sky and smiled. "They are all there: Telumendil, Helluin, Soronumë, Anarríma, Menelmacar and the Valacurca still shine brightly on us."

As Legolas named the constellations, Arwen's face grew sader. "They shine brightly on you," she corrected. "They shine for the elves."

"Sister, you are more of an elf than that swamp thing!" Elladen said, he hated it when his sister became pensive and sad.

"What is the last one you said?" Eldarion asked.

"The Valacurca?" Elrohir asked.

Eldarion nodded in agreeement.

"Let Legolas tell you. He is a far better story teller than me."

"No I am not!" Legolas cried humbly. "Tis not much of a tale to tell anyway. There are seven stars to represent a crown. It is called the Valacurca- the Sickle of the Valar, and a sign of doom. Elbereth set it as sort of a challenge to Morgoth."

Eldarion thought that the word 'Morgoth' rolled beautifully of Legolas' tongue, but then he realised the true meaning of the name and did not think so.

"Elrohir is right," Eldarion said. "You are a good story teller."

Legolas dismissed these compliments quickly and averted his face to hide his pink cheeks.

But Eldarion saw him blush, and was greatly pleased by it.

~

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